Conservation Science

Fellow Story

Donlan op-ed arguing for bison at Grand Canyon

Americans want more bison in more places. As the National Park Service makes the case for the eradication of bison from Grand Canyon National Park, a growing number of scientists and citizens are convinced that bison should remain there. Eradication would be inconsistent with ecological history and counter to the Service’s mission to “promote and regulate the use of the ... national parks ... which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein … for the enjoyment of future generations.”
February 20, 2012
Fellow Story

Moir's organization supports NOAA's Ocean Ecosystem Research within a portion of Stellwagen

Today, four Massachusetts-based community organizations submitted a letter to John Bryson, Secretary of Commerce, requesting that NOAA (National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration) expedite important measures designed to further science-based management of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and fisheries in New England. "Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary, an 842-square mile area spanning the approach to Massachusetts Bay, is home to over five hundred species of fish, sea birds, whales and diverse marine life," said Rob Moir, PhD, of the Ocean River Institute.
February 20, 2012
Fellow Story

Rinker quoted in LA Times article about pristine Mexican beach

The plastics on Mahahual's picturesque beaches are more than an eyesore. They may threaten the fragile coral reef and mangrove ecosystems of the Yucatan Peninsula, said H. Bruce Rinker, an ecologist at the Maine-based Biodiversity Research Institute and science advisor to Sustenta.com. "If we turn our backs, we risk harming the integrity of those systems," Rinker said. Read full story
February 8, 2012
Fellow Story

Thor Hanson in Audubon magazine

The subtle rust and charcoal hues of the robin’s plumage told me it was a female, and her feathers shone fresh and porcelain smooth in the sunlight. She cocked her head, hopped, and then lunged forward to root at something in the soil. Tilting upright again, she suddenly launched skyward, turning sharply around a fence post and swooping up at an impossible angle to land on an alder branch. Perched there, the robin shook her tail and fluffed up her body feathers before letting everything settle back into place.
February 7, 2012
Fellow Story

Tavis Forrester's game camera captures bobcat photos

This image was captured in the Mendocino National Forest in Califoria as part of a study on black-tail deer survival. The study targets understanding how predation and habitat quality and spatial arrangement contribute to deer survival in order to manage mammal populations in a changing world. Tavis Forrester and his team use the cameras to get a relative density of predator species in fawning areas to determine if this density affects survival probability for deer fawns.
January 9, 2012
Fellow Story

Thor Hanson on "What Makes a Bird?" at SeaDoc Society

Watch the videos on YouTube
January 9, 2012
Network Innovation Grant Grant

Candidate Conservation Banking

This Collaborative Initiatives Fund project is led by Todd Gartner of World Resources Institute in Washington, DC, and Josh Donlan of Advanced Conservation Strategies in Midway, Utah. They are working on an innovative approach to endangered...
January 6, 2012
Leadership Grant Grant

Building Capacity at Whale Trust, Year 2

Whale Trust received a second year of support for Meagan Jones as its first full-time Executive Director. Meagan co-founded the organization in 2001 while getting her PhD, and began working full time after finishing her degree. Meagan is...
January 6, 2012
Fellow

Tavis Forrester

2011 Fellow
Dr. Tavis Forrester is a wildlife research biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and a research fellow at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI). Dr. Forrester leads research on the ecology of cougars...
Fellow Story

PetWatch website launches

EcoHealth Alliance (formerly Wildlife Trust) has launched a new program called PetWatch, a first-of-its-kind mobile-friendly website that guides consumers to make informed decisions about exotic pets. Rooted in scientific research on global wildlife trade, PetWatch provides rankings for the Best, Fair and Worst choices of exotic pets for the well being of your family and the environment. Switzer supported the development of PetWatch with a Collaborative Grant to Fellows Kate Smith (2004) and Myra Finkelstein (1998), who developed the project for EcoHealth Alliance.
June 4, 2011